“Mom knows a lot about a lot. She’s a very intelligent and resourceful person. She was special forces before she was our mom.” Evan’s skilled fingers were checking his sister’s vitals.
“I had no idea she was anything besides a doctor,” Creed picked up the broken arm rest from their fight and pulled out a Swiss-Army knife.
“She’s still a regular human being though she acts unbreakable. She really is just all heart with a fragile body. That’s why we’re so protective of her,” Evan was finishing his notes on Meg’s chart when he heard Creed inhale sharply through his teeth.
“What’s wrong?” Alik was up and out of his chair in the blink of an eye.
“Nothing. I’m fine—just a little tender from getting my ass kicked by two metas a couple hours ago.” Creed had been kneeling beside the broken arm rest with his small screwdriver. Alik and Evan watched as Creed’s facial expression changed from a grimace to blank. Then he stood looking as though nothing had happened.
“What the heck was that about?” Alik asked genuinely confused.
“Nothing. I told you; I’m fine.” Creed said nonchalantly helping himself to a soda from the small fridge bulk side. “Anyone want a drink?”
Evan squinted at the meta and said, “Lift your shirt, please.”
“What? Why?”
“Don’t freak out, dude. He’s basically a doctor. Let him check you out.”
Creed rolled his eyes, but lifted his T-shirt up over his head.
Even Alik could see the problem. Something was wrong in his lower left ribcage area.
“You have at least one, possibly two broken or fractured ribs,” Evan said matter-of-factly. “I would need to do X-rays to be sure.”
“It happens,” Creed said with a shrug and began putting his T-shirt back on.
“Let me at least wrap that for you.”
“I’m fine. It doesn’t even hurt anymore.”
“C’mon, we’re on the same side now. You don’t have to keep playing tough meta soldier with us.”
“I’m not. Look, it hurt at first, but I just turned off the pain, so I’m good.”
The brothers exchanged looks.
“You ‘turned off the pain?’ What does that mean?” Alik asked.
Creed felt embarrassed talking about himself, especially to these two guys who he really admired…and because they’re the brothers of the girl he couldn’t stop thinking about.
“Do you mean you can turn off your pain sensors at will?”
“I don’t know how it works, but yeah, I guess so,” Creed really wanted to change the subject.
Realizing they weren’t going to drop the subject until he explained more he said, “Look, most metas are strong and smart, right? Williams always wanted you three back because you weren’t just strong and smart. You each had at least one enhanced ability he believed came from the formula he gave you to turn you into metas.” Creed paused to shrug humbly, again.
“I don’t know why, but I seem to have an ability, too. Nothing as cool as you three, but…,” Creed was fidgeting with the top of the soda can in his hands. “Yeah, I can turn off my pain, like flipping a light switch. It’s how I survived the match against my brother Gavil.”
“Does Williams know about your—gift?” Evan asked.
“I think he suspects. After the match, he questioned me about how I could come back from being stabbed in the kidney to win the fight. I told him I didn’t know.”
“Hum…, interesting,” Evan said thoughtfully.
“What do you mean ‘nothing as cool as you three?’ I can’t tell you how many times I would have loved to switch off pain! I think that is an awesome ability,” Alik said with a grin.
Creed wasn’t used to compliments at all, so he just shrugged and turned away.
Missy, who had made herself very scarce since witnessing the boys fighting, timidly walked into the main cabin and asked, “Is there anything I can get any of you?” All three boys looked up at Missy as though they had forgotten all about her until now. “The pilots insisted I offer.” Her eyes darted to the floor then got huge as she caught sight of the passenger seat that was still missing an arm rest.
“Food would be nice. You guys hungry?” Creed asked casually.
“Sure, I could eat.” Alik smiled innocently at Missy.
“Food would be a good idea,” Evan said.
“Okay. It’ll just be a few minutes, gentlemen.” Missy smiled warily at the boys before turning to busy herself in the galley.
“That poor girl is probably going to hand in her resignation the moment we touch ground.” Evan shook his head in an exaggerated gesture of sadness.
“Yeah, this trip has not been an easy one for her, poor kid,” Alik teased knowing the lady was at least ten years older than himself.
“She’ll probably consider suing for post-traumatic stress disorder that forced her to give up her promising career. Then she’ll write a book about how to survive an in-flight threat from terrorists and make millions.”
“Now there’s an idea.”
“Which part?”